Chapter 22 : The Third Trial (3)
A blade pressed against my neck.
Of course, it wasn’t as if no one had ever held a blade to my throat since leaving the
Coming-of-Age Ceremony procession.
At least once, I had endured the sprout-crushing ordeal with dignity.
But being threatened with death by a comrade sharing a quest?
That was unfamiliar even to me.
I could have activated Intangible Armor to protect my neck, but I didn’t.
Instead, I merely turned my head slightly to meet Soler’s gaze.
As a result, blood trickled down my neck.
“Your identity? I’m Polarin Adjak.”
“I wish you’d be honest. There’s no way, no way, this is your first time in this maze.”
Only then did I grasp what Soler meant by “identity.”
She seemed to think that, as someone from District 18, I knew too much about the maze.
It’s understandable she’d find it suspicious. How do I clear up this misunderstanding…?
While I organized my thoughts, Soler continued speaking.
“So, what’s your deal? Are you really from the Adjak family? Or are you a spy planted by the Empire? If you are, you won’t leave this maze alive.”
Soler’s eyes changed.
She looked ready to kill me if it came to it.
I smiled calmly and responded.
“A spy? No way. I’ve never left the Adjak Autonomous Region in my life. I’ve never even had contact with anyone from the Empire.”
“If that’s true, you shouldn’t have been in this maze before, so how…?”
“I have a supporter.”
I cut Soler off and declared firmly.
“To be precise, there’s someone who wants me to win the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. I got information about this maze from them.”
Soler’s gaze wavered, as if she were weighing whether my words were true.
She didn’t immediately counter, though.
The fact that Tayon had publicly granted me a Special Recommendation was no secret.
The influence of the Twelve Swords of Adjak within the family was far from small.
No, the current Twelve Swords were composed of individuals recognized not just within the family but across the entire continent.
To us, Tayon was a gruff yet kind guide, but he was undeniably a continental heavyweight.
Perhaps my words sounded plausible, as Soler’s hesitation showed in the trembling of her sword.
She slowly lowered the blade.
Her expression remained skeptical, but she didn’t press me with more questions as before.
Still, we couldn’t continue exploring the maze with this crack in our trust.
I sighed and spoke again.
“Even if I were an Imperial spy, I wouldn’t know every detail of every dungeon in Lirof. But I know the secrets of this maze and of course, I’ll share that information with our team.”
With that, I reached for the door in front of us, channeling mana into my fingertips.
Wooong.
As blue energy seeped into the door, the embossed image faded. In its place, a new image emerged.
At the center of the image was a massive bird, etched with two wings and a depiction of fire spewing from its enormous beak.
Its colossal size and ferocious aura were evident even in the drawing—a terrifying creature.
I had never seen this monster in the game. Naturally, I had no information about it.
…But I can guess what’s going on.
Pointing at the altered image, I said,
“See those pillars? The chains from the five pillars were sealing that giant winged beast.”
I spoke with conviction, as if I had known the maze’s secrets beforehand, though I was merely interpreting the hints in the image.
“The symbols on top of the pillars—look familiar?”
I rummaged through my leather pouch and pulled out a Golden Stone.
The wing pattern etched on the stone matched the ones on the pillars.
“This hidden piece was sealing the monster bird, and they were scattered throughout the maze. We’ve been collecting them.”
“…So the seal is broken now?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Soler pressed her forehead and asked, clearly immersed in my explanation, which was a relief.
Now I need to figure out the maze’s intent. Do we reseal it, or slay it outright to prevent future trouble?
Was there a way to defeat the boss monster more easily?
I pondered, fidgeting with the leather pouch containing the sealing stones.
The sound of the six stones clinking together somehow calmed me.
Wait, six?
I hurriedly turned the pouch upside down and counted the Golden Stones inside.
One, two, three, four, five… six.
But the chains sealing the monster bird numbered only five.
What was the purpose of the sixth sealing stone?
Was there another hint?
I quickly reached a conclusion.
From here on, I’d have to face it head-on to find out.
I shifted my gaze from the door to Soler.
“This is the extent of what I know.”
“Hm, I see.”
Soler’s expression was complicated.
She seemed lost in thought.
Just then, Kiyot’s voice rang out.
“Polarin, it’s time to switch.”
“Oh, already…? You woke up on your own without me calling.”
“Rest for now. You’ll think clearer after some sleep.”
“You’re right, hyung. I’ll get some rest.”
Yeah, I’d think it over after waking up.
* * *
“…Time to get up.”
Kiyot’s voice woke me from my slumber.
Four hours of rest.
Time had flown by like an arrow.
I sprang up from where I lay.
The others were also waking, checking their gear.
Soler was doing the same, but her eyes were slightly bloodshot. I approached her and asked,
“Did you not sleep?”
“I slept.”
But she subtly avoided my gaze.
No matter how much she had to think about, she would’ve been better off sleeping like me.
I infused mana into the door and briefly explained the altered symbols to the team.
“…In short, using the five stones to seal the maze boss should work.”
Keldric, puzzled, asked,
“Captain! Didn’t we collect six stones? What’s the extra one for?”
“I don’t know. We’ll have to find out in the boss room.”
After sleeping, my head felt clearer.
Since when did Tune World ever give perfect hints?
Maze explorers had to piece together vague clues and navigate unreasonable situations with quick thinking.
The team seemed to understand the meaning behind my words, as they didn’t add anything further.
I then explained the positions.
“As I mentioned, the maze’s master is likely a flying monster.”
“A flying monster.”
“Blaze and Keldric, you’re fast, so lure the boss. The image suggests it breathes fire, so be careful.”
“Got it!”
“….”
When Blaze didn’t respond, I glanced at him.
Though he didn’t speak, he met my gaze and gave a small nod.
I turned to Jadin and Kiyot.
“Jadin and Kiyot, conserve your strength. Stay as far away as possible in a safe spot out of the boss’s sight.”
“…Understood, Polarin.”
“Me too.”
Though from different races, the reliable heavy-damage duo acknowledged their roles.
“And I’ll take on the task of placing the sealing stones in the five pillars.”
“That’s dangerous. Be careful, Captain!”
I nodded at Keldric’s words.
Of course, it would be dangerous.
Even with Blaze and Keldric drawing aggro, the boss would likely target me.
But I had to do it.
I had the exceptional defensive skill [Intangible Armor], and I could handle unexpected situations calmly.
Above all, I’m the one who knows this maze best.
As I reaffirmed my resolve, Soler spoke up, sounding sulky.
“What about me?”
I had originally planned for Soler to take the same role as Blaze and Keldric, but her condition wasn’t great after not resting properly.
“You’re not in good shape, so it’s better to stay here.”
It was far better than Soler getting hurt by entering the boss room in a sluggish state.
She didn’t need to be in peak condition, but she shouldn’t be a liability.
Five people would make for a tough fight, but reducing variables was the better choice.
Besides, I planned to leverage District 3’s resources in the future.
If Soler got injured, that plan would collapse.
“I can do my part.”
“I know you’re strong, Soler. You’ve been a huge help getting us this far. But going into the boss room without proper rest is too much.”
Soler, however, didn’t seem ready to back down.
Her bloodshot eyes glared as she replied,
“I can do it.”
The humid heat of the Lava Zone was momentarily forgotten as Soler’s response turned icy.
The other team members sent worried glances, anticipating a conflict.
“Fine, then assist me, Soler. But in dangerous situations, protect yourself.”
“I won’t hold you back.”
With an agreement reached between Soler and me, the rest of the team breathed sighs of relief.
They likely thought having Soler was better, given her exceptional performance in the maze so far.
I began my final nagging to the group.
“Let me say this again: getting here was relatively easy. That means the boss will be that much harder, so we need to give it our all…”
“Captain, we get it! We know! Let’s go all out and crush it! Let’s win!”
I hadn’t even finished, but…
I grinned, stopped talking, and pushed the Golden Gate with all my strength.
* * *
The boss room was a lush, verdant expanse.
It was a stark contrast to the Lava Zone’s terrain inside the maze.
Breathing fresh air for the first time in a while lifted my spirits.
“The earth’s energy here is strong. It’s like the beastmen’s homeland.”
“Don’t let your guard down, Jadin.”
Just then, a massive shadow passed overhead.
The team went on alert, looking up.
A bird with wings spread wide stared down at us from the sky.
Its wings were each the size of a bus, and it opened its beak, glaring at us.
“Scatter!”
At my command, the team dispersed.
“Get to your assigned positions!”
Perhaps because my voice was loud, the monster bird spewed fire in my direction.
I barely dodged the flames, but the spot where I’d stood no longer held green foliage or traces of earth.
The terrain, touched by a single burst of fire, burned red like the Lava Zone we’d passed through.
“Can we even take that thing down?”
Jadin muttered to himself and bolted.